Chocolate-Lavender Napoleons
By America's Test KitchenPublished on February 4, 2021
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
1½ cups half-and-half ⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar, divided2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1½ teaspoons dried lavender Pinch salt 3 large egg yolks 1 tablespoon cornstarch 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine¾ teaspoon vanilla extractPastry
1 (9½ by 9-inch) sheet puff pastry, thawedGlazes
1 ounce (28 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon milk, divided1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar, divided⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract 18 candied violets (optional)Before You Begin
To thaw frozen puff pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the dough becomes too soft to work with, cover it with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator until firm.
Instructions
- Bring half-and-half, ¼ cup sugar, cocoa, lavender, and salt to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining sugar in bowl until smooth. Whisk about ½ cup hot half-and-half mixture into egg mixture to temper, then slowly whisk tempered egg mixture into remaining half-and-half mixture in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened, smooth, and registers 180 degrees, about 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in butter and chocolate until combined and smooth. Strain pastry cream through fine-mesh strainer into clean bowl, then whisk in vanilla. Press plastic wrap directly on surface and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 16 by 12-inch rectangle, about ¼ inch thick, between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper. Remove top sheet of parchment and prick pastry with fork every 2 inches.
- Replace top sheet of parchment and slide dough onto rimmed baking sheet. Place second rimmed baking sheet on top of dough and weight baking sheet with large oven safe dish. Bake pastry until cooked through and lightly golden, 40 to 50 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
- Remove weight, top baking sheet, and top sheet of parchment and continue to bake pastry until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Let pastry cool completely on sheet, about 1 hour. (Pastry will shrink slightly.)
- Cut cooled pastry in half lengthwise with serrated knife and trim edges as necessary to make them straight. Cut each pastry half crosswise into 3 rectangles, then cut each rectangle crosswise into 3 small rectangles (you will have 18 rectangles). (Puff pastry rectangles can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
- Microwave chocolate and 2 tablespoons milk in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in ¾ cup sugar until smooth. Whisk remaining ¼ cup sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon milk, and vanilla in second bowl until smooth.
- Lay 6 pastry rectangles on wire rack set over sheet of parchment (for easy cleanup) and spread chocolate glaze evenly over top. Drizzle thin stream of vanilla glaze crosswise over chocolate glaze. Run tip of small knife or toothpick lengthwise through icing to make design. Top with candied violets, if using. Let glaze set for 20 minutes.
- Spread about 2½ tablespoons pastry cream evenly over 6 more rectangles of pastry. Gently top each with one of remaining 6 rectangles of pastry and spread remaining pastry cream evenly over tops. Top each with glazed rectangle and serve. (Napoleons can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 hours.)
for the pastry cream
for the pastry
for the glazes
Yield
Serves 6Ingredients
Pastry Cream
1½ cups half-and-half
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons dried lavender
Pinch salt
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pastry
1 (9½ by 9-inch) sheet puff pastry, thawed
Glazes
1 ounce (28 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon milk, divided
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar, divided
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
18 candied violets (optional)
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
1½ cups half-and-half
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons dried lavender
Pinch salt
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pastry
1 (9½ by 9-inch) sheet puff pastry, thawed
Glazes
1 ounce (28 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon milk, divided
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar, divided
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
18 candied violets (optional)
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
1½ cups half-and-half
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons dried lavender
Pinch salt
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pastry
1 (9½ by 9-inch) sheet puff pastry, thawed
Glazes
1 ounce (28 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon milk, divided
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar, divided
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
18 candied violets (optional)
Why This Recipe Works
Both chocolate and lavender can take over a dessert, so we started by making a balanced chocolate-lavender pastry cream. We found that steeping a small amount of lavender in half-and-half and sugar from the start and straining the lavender out before cooling gave our pastry cream a subtle yet distinctive lavender flavor—no potpourri taste. We added cocoa powder to the custard mixture at the start and melted in bittersweet chocolate at the end. Using store-bought puff pastry made this dessert approachable. We found that the best way to achieve level pastry layers was to bake it topped with a second baking sheet, weighted with a large ovensafe dish. The typical method of making one large Napoleon and then cutting the pastry into individual servings sends filling squirting out the sides. We cut the baked pastry into individual rectangles before filling and stacking. And for the icings, we skip fondant in favor of two simple confectioners' sugar glazes.
Before You Begin
To thaw frozen puff pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the dough becomes too soft to work with, cover it with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator until firm.
Instructions
- Bring half-and-half, ¼ cup sugar, cocoa, lavender, and salt to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining sugar in bowl until smooth. Whisk about ½ cup hot half-and-half mixture into egg mixture to temper, then slowly whisk tempered egg mixture into remaining half-and-half mixture in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened, smooth, and registers 180 degrees, about 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in butter and chocolate until combined and smooth. Strain pastry cream through fine-mesh strainer into clean bowl, then whisk in vanilla. Press plastic wrap directly on surface and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 16 by 12-inch rectangle, about ¼ inch thick, between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper. Remove top sheet of parchment and prick pastry with fork every 2 inches.
- Replace top sheet of parchment and slide dough onto rimmed baking sheet. Place second rimmed baking sheet on top of dough and weight baking sheet with large oven safe dish. Bake pastry until cooked through and lightly golden, 40 to 50 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
- Remove weight, top baking sheet, and top sheet of parchment and continue to bake pastry until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Let pastry cool completely on sheet, about 1 hour. (Pastry will shrink slightly.)
- Cut cooled pastry in half lengthwise with serrated knife and trim edges as necessary to make them straight. Cut each pastry half crosswise into 3 rectangles, then cut each rectangle crosswise into 3 small rectangles (you will have 18 rectangles). (Puff pastry rectangles can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
- Microwave chocolate and 2 tablespoons milk in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in ¾ cup sugar until smooth. Whisk remaining ¼ cup sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon milk, and vanilla in second bowl until smooth.
- Lay 6 pastry rectangles on wire rack set over sheet of parchment (for easy cleanup) and spread chocolate glaze evenly over top. Drizzle thin stream of vanilla glaze crosswise over chocolate glaze. Run tip of small knife or toothpick lengthwise through icing to make design. Top with candied violets, if using. Let glaze set for 20 minutes.
- Spread about 2½ tablespoons pastry cream evenly over 6 more rectangles of pastry. Gently top each with one of remaining 6 rectangles of pastry and spread remaining pastry cream evenly over tops. Top each with glazed rectangle and serve. (Napoleons can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 hours.)
for the pastry cream
for the pastry
for the glazes
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Keep Exploring
My Rating
This is a members' feature.
0 Comments